Singular is correct.  The entire constituent, "Learning and assimilating new
information,"  is a gerund phrase (a nominal nonfinite verb phrase) serving
as the singular subject of the sentence.

Notice what happens, however, when we delete " . . . new information . . .
."  Now we have two separate gerund phrases as compound subjects and the
verb reflects this by changing to "are."

"Learning and assimilating are always easier when the information is
presented in a familiar pattern."

But we have entered a fuzzy area here.  It could be argued that "Learning
and assimilating" is still a singular act based upon its meaning in the
original sentence.  It is dangerous to allow semantics to rub noses with
syntax.  We rediscover that nothing is as simple as it seems.



Jeff Glauner
Associate Professor of English
Park University, Box 1303
8700 River Park Drive
Parkville MO 64152
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http://www.park.edu/jglauner/index.htm
<http://www.park.edu/jglauner/index.htm>

-----Original Message-----
From: Carolyn Kinslow [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, July 30, 2001 8:23 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Help with verbal as subject


We have a disagreement about subject/verb agreement, and I would like the
expert opinions of the members of this list.  The sentence generating the
disagreement reads,

        "Learning and assimilating new information is always easier when the
information is presented in a familiar pattern."

One camp claims the singular verb,  is, is correct; the other camp maintains
that the verb should be plural. How can I explain this construction?


Carolyn